Mandi:
Thank you for sharing with us. I'm
polkaing down the stree w/ you Lady
Smallhorne.
herb
On 1/25/2012 7:57 AM, Mandi
Smallhorne wrote:
>
> Can I share this with you?
>
> I may have mentioned that eight
> years ago I met and befriended an
> Aids orphan in one of our shanty
> towns. Mbali is very bright, and
> battled her way through a very
> poor and dysfunctional school to
> qualify for university. She wanted
> to do a BSc, but could not get in
> due to space constraints. She
> therefore did a diploma course in
> biotechnology at the University of
> Johannesburg last year – and did
> very well, getting three
> distinctions, one in chemistry.
>
> We applied to transfer her to BSc
> this year, and the admin botched
> things – they told her she was
> accepted subject to space being
> available, then told her she’d
> been rejected. I got into a rage
> and wrote an impassioned – but I
> hope reasoned – email to the dean,
> pointing out that this way, South
> Africa was likely to lose a
> scientist and gain a technician.
> She has proved that she is
> dedicated and hardworking, and
> will not drop out mid-year, as so
> many of our deeply unprepared
> first-years do. I said she should
> be accepted based solely on her
> 2011 results, but added that I
> found it really sad that they were
> turning down a girl who, on one
> occasion, turned to me with a
> glowing face and said, “I really
> LOVE science!” Someone who has the
> potential to go way beyond BSc, to
> really contribute to science
> nationally and globally. (Plus, I
> reminded them, she has a sponsor
> who is paying her fees, and I am
> sure I can fundraise a little to
> cover books – so many of our
> first-years don’t have enough for
> their fees, and can’t qualify for
> a bank loan, the Catch-22 being
> banks won’t loan to first-years
> who they well know could drop out.)
>
> And guess what? I got a phone call
> from the faculty. They have
> decided to accept Mbali. She’s on
> her way! A kid born in a
> corrugated iron shack will become
> a scientist, will, I am sure, one
> day be Dr Nkabinde. Tears,
> laughter, and a desire to rush out
> and polka down the street…. OMG, I
> am so glad!
>
> Mandi
>
>
>
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